A Card Thief Picked the One Target Store That Already Had Deputies Inside

Deputies with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office were already inside a Target in Palm Coast, Florida on September 21, working an unrelated stolen bicycle case, when loss prevention staff flagged a man they recognized as a known shoplifter. According to the sheriff's office, the man grabbed a plastic storage bin, walked to the store's trading card section, and filled it with 98 packs of sports cards before heading toward a rear exit.

Deputies followed him out to the parking lot and watched him walk toward a black BMW, where a woman sat waiting behind the wheel. They moved in for what the sheriff's office called a high-risk arrest. The man was identified as Andrew Simmons, 27, and the woman as Madeline Whaley, 35, both of Jacksonville.

The sheriff's office put the value of the stolen cards at more than $2,500. Simmons was booked on grand theft along with possession of methamphetamine, fentanyl and drug paraphernalia. He also arrived at the stop carrying four outstanding warrants: one from St. Johns County for failing to appear in court, and three from Clay County for grand theft.

Whaley faced her own set of charges: accessory after the fact, methamphetamine and fentanyl possession, drug paraphernalia possession, use of a firearm during commission of a felony, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office did not hold back describing the outcome. "They picked the wrong store in the wrong county at the wrong time," the agency said, adding that the pair had effectively "traded their stolen cards for a room at the Green Roof Inn."

Cases like this one keep turning up because trading cards are compact, easy to move in bulk, and hold resale value that rivals far bulkier merchandise per square inch of shelf space. A single bin of 98 packs totaling more than $2,500 helps explain why the card aisle keeps drawing extra attention from retailers, whether that means locked cases, closer staffing, or, in this instance, deputies who simply happened to already be on site.